ODM ward reps sworn in after 11-month row

Lurambi Mp Bishop Titus Khamala (center) congratulates Scholastica Ngina Shiraku and Feisal Mustafa Abdi (left) after swearing function as nominated MCA's at Kakamega County Assembly on Sept. 11, 2018. Shiraku was nominated among 37 MCAs on gender top up list while Abdi on marginalized list . [PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

Two nominated MCAs finally took the oath of office after a court battle that lasted 11 months.

Scholastica Shiraku and Feisal Abdi were sworn in after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) gazetted their names following a High Court order.

“Following the gazettment and swearing-in of two new nominated MCAs for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, earlier nomination and gazettement of Eric Changorok and Hadija Juma stands disqualified,” said County Assembly Speaker Morris Buluma.

Petition filed

The court had barred Mr Changorok and Ms Juma from being sworn in until the petition filed by Ms Shiraku and Mr Abdi was heard and determined.

Shiraku and Abdi were vetted by ODM.

But in gazette notice no. 8380 dated August 28, 2017, IEBC named Changorok to represent the minority communities and Juma to represent gender in the county assembly.

Shiraku and Abdi filed a petition in the Chief Magistrate’s Court, which nullified the nomination of Changorok and Juma.

Former Kakamega Senior Resident Magistrate Benson Khapoya ordered IEBC to confirm Shiraku and Abdi as duly nominated ODM MCAs.

Juma appealed against the ruling made by the lower court before High Court judge Ruth Sitati, who dismissed the appeal.

The judge said ODM and IEBC did not explain how the anomaly of gazetting Changorok and Juma arose when it was clear that the two never attended nomination interviews.